America's tallest man dies at age 38

Ukrainian-born Igor Vovkovinskiy had a condition called pituitary gigantism that caused excessive secretion of growth hormone. PHOTO: IGOR VOVKOVINSKLY/INSTAGRAM

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The tallest man in the United States - he stood at 2.35m - has died of a heart problem at the age of 38, his mother said on Facebook.

Ukrainian-born Igor Vovkovinskiy had a condition called pituitary gigantism that caused an excessive secretion of growth hormone.

His mother, who said her son died on Friday (Aug 20) in Minnesota, had brought him from their home in Ukraine in 1989 to get medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in the northern US state. Two operations saved his life but failed to stop his growth.

At age 27, Guinness World Records declared Mr Vovkovinskiy the tallest person in the US.

In the 2013 edition of the Eurovision song contest, Mr Vovkovinskiy walked on stage cradling Ukraine's singer, Zlata Ognevich, in his arms. She looked tiny and doll-like.

Mr Vovkovinskiy enjoyed another moment of celebrity in 2009 when then-US president Barack Obama noticed him towering above the crowd at a political rally. Mr Vovkovinskiy was wearing a T-shirt that called him the "World's Biggest Obama Supporter". He shook hands with the politician.

According to the Guinness World Records, the tallest person in the world now is a Turkish man named Mr Sultan Kosen, who is 2.51m.

The tallest man in modern US history was Mr Robert Wadlow, who was 2.72m. He also suffered from a growth hormone disorder and died in 1940 at the age of 22.

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